1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is related to a substrate transfer device of substrate processing equipment for transferring a substrate and more particularly to a substrate transfer device of semiconductor processing equipment, namely, so-called equipment front end module (EFEM).
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 18 is a sectional view showing a cut part of a semiconductor processing equipment 1 of the related art. The semiconductor processing equipment 1 is structured so as to include a wafer processing unit 2 and a wafer transfer device 3. The space in the semiconductor processing equipment 1 is filled with a predetermined atmospheric gas. Therefore, wafers 4 to be processed are prevented from adhesion of foreign substances floating in the air. The semiconductor wafers 4 are transferred to the semiconductor processing equipment in the state that they are stored in a FOUP (front opening unified pod) 5.
The wafer transfer device 3 takes out the wafers 4 before processing from the FOUP 5 and supplies them to the waver processing unit 2, and takes out the wafers 4 after processing from the wafer processing unit 2 and re-stores them in the FOUP 5. Concretely, the wafer transfer device 3 includes a FOUP opener 6 (hereinafter, referred to as an opener 6) and a robot 7. As one of preparation space forming wall 8, a wafer opening through which the wafers 4 can pass is formed. The opener 6 is installed in the neighborhood of the wafer opening and outside the preparation space, a FOUP retainer 11 for retaining the FOUP 5 is formed. Further, the opener 6 has a door for closing the wafer opening and can close tightly a preparation space 9 for the outside space.
The opener 6, in the state of prevention of entry of the air, opens the door of the FOUP 5 held by the FOUP retainer 11 and the door for closing the opening of the preparation space forming wall 8 and interconnects the intra-FOUP space and the preparation space 9. In this state, the robot 7 transfers the wafers 4 from the FOUP 5 to the wafer processing unit 2 and transfers the wafers 4 from the wafer processing unit 2 to the FOUP 5. The opener 6 closes the doors of the FOUP 5 and preparation space forming wall 8, thus the FOUP 5 and preparation space 9 are closed tightly from the air and the FOUP 5 can be separated from the semiconductor processing unit 1. For example, this related art is disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication 2003-45933.
FIG. 19 is a flow chart showing the conventional assembly procedure of the wafer transfer device 3 which is performed by an assembly company. Firstly, when the assembly operator completes preparation of the members composing the preparation space 9, the operator goes to Step a1 and starts assembly of the wafer transfer device 3. At Step a1, the operator forms the preparation space 9 in the installation place where the wafer transfer device 3 is installed and goes to Step a2.
At Step a2, the operator prepares the constituent devices composing the wafer transfer device 3 such as the opener 6 and robot 7 and installs them in the preparation space 9. When the installation of the constituent devices 6 and 7 is completed, the operator goes to Step a3. At Step a3, the operator adjusts so that the position and posture of each of the constituent devices 6 and 7 and the relative location relationship are set within predetermined tolerances and goes to Step a4.
At Step a4, the operator connects the power wires and signal wires so that the constituent devices 6 and 7 can operate and goes to Step a5. At Step a5, the operator operates actually the robot 7, teaches the operation positions necessary for the robot 7 to transfer the wafers 4, such as the position of the robot 7, the wafer arrangement position set in the wafer processing unit 1, and the movement-passing position to the robot 7, and goes to Step a6. At Step a6, the operator operates the robot 7 and confirms the operation and when the operation confirmation is completed, the assembly of the wafer transfer device 3 is completed.
FIG. 20 is a flow chart showing the operation procedure from manufacture to shipment of the robot 7 for the wafer transfer device which is performed by a robot manufacturer. Firstly, the robot manufacturer, when the preparation of a plurality of constituent parts composing robot 7 is completed, goes to Step b1 and starts operation. At Step b1, the robot manufacturer assembles the robot 7 on the assembly table and goes to Step b2. At Step b2, the robot manufacturer moves the robot 7 from the assembly table to the test table and connect wires, and then goes to Step b3. At Step b3, the robot manufacturer examines the operation of the robot 7. Concretely, the robot manufacturer allows the robot 7 to perform a simulation operation simulating the operation to be performed actually by the robot 7 and confirms that the required quality is achieved, and then goes to Step b4. At Step b4, the robot manufacturer disconnects the wires, and then goes to Step b5. At Step b5, the robot manufacturer moves the robot 7 from the test table to the shipment table, transfers it to the installation place where the wafer transfer device 3 is installed, and finished the operation.
In the related art aforementioned, in the installation place of the wafer transfer device 3, it is necessary for the assembly company to sequentially perform the installation operation of the robot 7, position adjustment operation, wire connection operation, position teaching operation, and operation confirmation operation. At each step, a technical skill on a predetermined or higher level is required and a long period of time is taken to complete each operation step. For example, when installing the opener 6 and robot 7 and adjusting each position, it is necessary to strictly perform installation adjustment respectively for the opener 6 and robot 7 so as to put each levelness within the tolerance.
Further, when performing position teaching for the robot 7, to teach the position of the FOUP 5 to be positioned to the FOUP retainer 11, the operator of the assembly company teaches the robot 7 by moving the robot hand. Further, when installing another constituent device, for example, an aligner on the wafer transfer device 3 or installing a buffer position for temporarily preserving the wafer 4, it is necessary to teach those positions to the robot 7. When an operator trained insufficiently performs the teaching operation, a teaching error is caused easily. Due to a teaching error during the teaching operation, there is a possibility that the operation time by the robot is prolonged undesirably or interference occurs during the robot operation, thus the units may be damaged. Therefore, to perform skillfully the operation at each operation step, a sufficient training term and a sufficient operation term are necessary.
On the other hand, the robot manufacturer, to ensure the quality of the robot 7, often executes a test of a simulation operation for simulating the operation to be actually performed by the robot 7. At this time, the robot manufacturer prepares a simulation preparation space and a simulation opener for simulating the preparation space 9 and opener 6. And, using those simulation structures, the robot manufacturer performs the almost same operations as the installation operation, position adjustment operation, wire connection operation, position teaching operation, and operation confirmation operation which are to be performed in the installation place of the wafer transfer device 3 in the robot manufacturing place. And, after end of the test of simulation operation, for shipment, it is necessary to separate the robot 7 from the simulation structures.
As mentioned above, in the assembly method by the related art for the wafer transfer device 3, technical skill on a predetermined or higher level and a long period of time of assembly are required for the assembly company. On the other hand, viewed from the whole flow including manufacture of the robot, an operation similar to the test of simulation operation executed by the robot manufacturer is performed at time of assembly, and as an operation unrelated to the actual assembly, a joint/separation operation of the robot for the simulation structures is performed, and an inefficient operation occurs. Such a problem is caused similarly for a substrate other than the semiconductor wafer, for example, a glass substrate.